Tidbits
Traveling on a Budget
We have had a lot to be thankful for in the last week, specifically for Ashkon getting two more residency interviews! However, these travel plans had to be made in less than a week which always increases prices of tickets, rental cars, etc. These expenses don’t have usual places in our budget which means we have to be creative when it comes to other travel expenses, like food to cut down on costs.
Today has been our travel day – 5 hour flight with a 2 1/2 hour drive all starting at 4am. It’s been a long day but we were prepared for it knowing that we wouldn’t have the time to stop for food and didn’t want to spend the extra money for it. So, even though it made for a heavier start to the trip, we packed a picnic for our day! Here’s how we survived our long travel day without spending money on food or drinks:
- Our PACK-iT is always a lifesaver when it comes to traveling! We brought veggies and cheese that have stayed cold for hours!
- We brought our own water bottles empty (Nalgene and Camelbak are our favorites) so we could refill them throughout the day.
- We packed our shaker bottles for our protein shakes to keep our nutrition goals even when out of our routine
- Lots of Snacks – fruit leathers, almonds, popcorn and more!
Happy traveling for for this Thanksgiving Season! See how much money you can save by doing a little extra planning 😄
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Read MoreBaby On The Mind
You may not think that it is baby season but to all the mamas who deliver in the Spring (what is often known as Baby Season), Baby is definitely on her mind. We just finished our Baby Registry and it was quite the feat. I love researching, but there are so many options when it comes to baby it was hard to find the “right” answer for a lot of items. I also love supporting small, creative businesses -their products can usually be found online and not always in stores so it was important for me to find an online registry that I really enjoyed using so I could add that creative touch to our registry. And, I did!
We are using BabyList Online Baby Registry – www.babyli.st – and here are a few reasons why I have liked it!
- Easy to Use — As overwhelming as registering for baby can be, a difficult online registry is the last thing that a mom-to-be needs! BabyList is clear and concise and has made it really fun to find some unique gifts to add to our registry.
- Link for Other Registries — I was able to link my Store Registries like Buy Buy Baby and Target onto my BabyList registry so that they are all in one place! Great for friends or family that may not be as tech savvy – all the info for your baby registry can be found from one link!
- Organized — I am able to organize every item that I add to my BabyList registry to make it easier for me to see what we have in each category as well as for the shopper
- Awesome App — BabyList has a great app so I can add things right from my phone! The app and website are
Reorganize Your Calendar
Today I was challenged to schedule all my activities on my calendar–and I mean ALL. Right down to family dinner and bedtime routines. At first I scoffed at the idea thinking “Please. I have way too much going on to schedule it all. That’s ridiculous.”
However, I quickly saw the value in organizing my calendar–even the small, day to day things. I recognized that this reorganization revealed 2 things:
- The time I DO have (not just the time I feel like I don’t have)
and
2. How much stress I was causing myself by not writing everything out. By not seeing the big picture of my schedule I was feeling overwhelmed or under-prepared. By not syncing all my calendars (I have them all over the house) I was missing important things in my schedule (like writing this blog post…oops!). By not scheduling in the day to day things I could easily spend too much time on only one area of my life and not be spending my time in a balanced way.
So here’s to getting organized and realizing that we DO have time to live more, give more, learn more, and BE MORE!!
Happy Reorganizing!
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Reorganize Memories
How often do you think about what events, circumstances, people in your life have brought you to today? Have you thought about what has formed you into who you are today? We are all on unique journeys. We all take different paths. They intersect, cross, go their own way. But we take people, we take memories, we take scars, we take joys. Do we take enough time to reflect on who we have become??
Think about your story. Jennie Allen uses a good exercise in her book “Restless” that walks you through thinking about your life, where you have been, where you are, and where you want to be. She suggests this exercise:
Journal through
- Identify a highlight from each life stage when you felt pleasure in what you were doing. When were moments you remember being proud and satisfied?
- Ages 0-6
- 7-12
- 13-18
- 19-24
- 25+
- Identify a memory from each life stage when you remember suffering
- 0-6
- 7-12
- 13-18
- 19-24
- 25+
- Now lay these moments out on an arrow of the timeline of your life. Look to see God’s fingerprints. How he has been with you. How he has paved the way, opened doors, been with you through hard times? What has been a part of your journey? Reflect, be thankful, and be blessed right where you are.
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Healthy Juice Blends
You know those mornings that you wake up and you feel congested, as if you have pressure in your nose and eyes areas?? Well, that was me yesterday. I felt like my face was swollen and I would not stop sneezing. I knew that I wasn’t sick but I was in a new environment that occasionally makes my sinuses a bit crazy. I decided to get a juice blend at lunch- beet, Apple, ginger (lots of it), and a little bit of lemon. I almost instantly felt better! My sinuses were clear and my head no longer felt stuffy.
There are so many benefits from juices, such as anti-inflammatory components, aiding in digestion, clearing sinuses, and filling your body with healthy super foods in one drink!! And, with a good juicer, you can even try your own combinations!
A few of our favorite places that we have discovered for juice blends are La Vie which can be found and tasted at the Danville Farmers Markets on Saturday mornings, Pressed Juicery which we found in Southern California (but coming soon to Walnut Creek!) and our favorite restaurant, Ki’s!!
Here are my top 5 juice blends that I have tried:
- Inspired from “Roots 3” from Pressed Juicery and “The Bite” from Ki’s—Beets, Apple, Ginger, Lemon — can aid in digestion and tastes DELICIOUS!! This is my personal favorite 🙂
2. “Greens 4” from Pressed Juicery
Cayenne, Cucumber, Celery, Ginger, Lemon, Watercress
High in antioxidants!
3. “Fire Fighter” from La Vie
Coconut water, filtered water, fresh turmeric juice, fresh ginger juice, fresh lime juice, raw local honey, organic coconut palm sugar, organic cayenne.
Full of kick with lots of turmeric, giving it a anti-inflammatory components that takes great!
4. “E3 Live Cocktail” from La Vie
Apple juice, organic blue green algae, …
Read MoreReorganize Your Morning
When it comes to sleep every minute counts. As a mom, I’ll even take extra seconds. For much of my short mom life I was letting the kids be my alarm. Soaking up as many short minutes and seconds of sleep that I could. The problem with this was I had no time for myself. No way to get my mind right or spend time with God. I would tell myself that I could do those things later in the day–I’d find time. But I never did.
All that changed when I established a morning routine! I have a list of 8 things that I do each morning and try to do before the girls wake up. I don’t always make it through my list, but I notice a huge difference in my day when I do.
Many people have adopted a 5am wake-up schedule. The idea behind it is that we are more productive in the morning. There are less distractions in the morning. We are more likely to get things done first thing in the day. Although I’m not yet ready to join the 5am club, I am waking up 30 minutes to an hour before the girls to start my morning right.
My Morning Routine:
1. Express Gratitude.
I journal using a gratitude journal that really helps me keep track of things I’m grateful for and has great quotes throughout the book.
2. Morning Devotion
I am reading daily devotions from the website “She Reads Truth.” There is also an app.
3. Workout
I only have about 5 minutes to workout in the morning, but it gets my juices flowing and feels great.
5. Take 5 deep breaths
6. SMILE
7. Forgive yourself for yesterday’s mistakes
8. Get motivated
I start my morning off …
Read MoreReorganize My Clutter
I confess I am a stuffer. I stuff things in closets, I stuff shoes in places they don’t go, I stuff things in places to put away later, I stuff my days with running from one thing to the next, I stuff my time with endless tasks, and I stuff my emotions when I don’t really want to deal with them at the moment. And I have realized, I start stuffing more material things around me when I am emotionally struggling. There’s something going on I don’t like so I don’t talk about it. There’s things in the house I don’t like so I don’t deal with them. There’s chores to do, so I just push them aside. It’s this endless cycle of appearing to look clean when underneath the surface lies the same big old mess. And I want to be done with it. I want to stop stuffing things in that one room in my house that drives me crazy. I want to stop stuffing my emotions and letting them bottle up until I feel like I am going to explode. I want to stop stuffing my life with busyness so I can barely hang on.
So what do I do? Reorganize, take a little time each day, clean one thing at a time, and stop stuffing. Deal with things when they come up. Put thing away in the moment rather than put them in another spot to put away later. Confront issues and emotions when you have them. And follow a new set of rules. Create systems of stuff that work, not systems that need to be fixed later. But that is all just a plan. I think part of this is a little deeper. It is my state of being. My physical surroundings start to emulate …
Read MoreRECHARGED by Time Out
Ok, Ok before you start thinking, “What is this post about? Time outs?” Don’t worry. I’m talking time out–out of the house/Moms Night Out/Girls Night Out/Boys Night out.
Nights out are a way to connect with others. To talk and share ups and downs from the week. A chance to listen to someone who needs to be heard. An opportunity to make memories – and yes, blast those fun, happy pictures all over your social media.
No matter what your station in life, a night out is a time to recharge!!
Here’s a few ideas to get recharged by a night out.
(As always, check Groupon, Living Social, and more for coupons and discounts on fun events/fitness classes and more in your area).
Indoor rock climbing – My local climbing gym has a once a week ladies night for $5!
Trampoline park – jump jump jump to recharge and laugh a lot.
A new fitness class – most fitness classes are free your first time and sweating with friends is a great way to recharge.
Try a new restaurant – Ask your friends for a recommendation and try something you wouldn’t normally off the menu.
Go bowling – bowling is a fun way to have an activity that still allows you to talk and visit.
Drive around at night and find a place to sit and look at the stars – I know sometimes I get so caught up in life I forget to look at the beauty all around me.
Get pampered at a salon – I went to a moms night out last night at a salon for snacks, drinks, and blowouts. We even got a makeup lesson. It was so fun and a really relaxing way to talk and spend time with old and new friends.…
Read MoreRECHARGE By Doing Something New
I am a creature of habit and routine. I could easily eat the same foods and do the same things every day and not really think about it. I like structure.
Sometimes that’s a good thing. It’s how I get out of the house every day. It’s why (I think) my kids are good at bedtime. Routine. Structure.
But here’s the bad thing: when you always do the same things you miss out on adventure, excitement, and the challenge that comes with getting out of your routine and out of your comfort zone.
Who will you meet? How will you grow? Who can you become?
Each new experience is a change to answer those questions. Yes, we will fail, but we will also learn!
So, go out and do something new. Your life is waiting for you.
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Recharge Your Goals
Can you believe it is July already? One big reality about it being July is that means we are at the halfway point of 2015! This is the perfect time to reflect on where you are and where you are going so that you can recharge your goals.
So let’s talk about your goals for the year!
First – do you have your goals written out? (If not DO IT NOW. TODAY!!) You need to look at your goals every day so you know where you are going. So you can be choosing specific daily actions that will move you toward your goals.
Second – Do your goals have a specific date and description? Ask yourself: When will you accomplish these goals? How will you know when you are there?
Third – You must decide to succeed. Visualize yourself achieving your goals. What does your life look like? How does that affect you, your family, your job when you reach that goal? Once you have decided to succeed, be intentional about the thoughts you allow in your head. Renew your mind daily with prayer, devotions, and personal development to stay focused on your goals. You CAN do it and you WILL do it. Tell yourself that EVERY DAY!!! If you change your thoughts, feelings, and actions you will get different results!
So how does this all fit together? How will this help me reach my goals? Simple. “If you don’t know where you are going you will probably end up somewhere else.” -Zig Ziglar
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If some of this seems familiar–GOOD! I talked about this same thing in my post, “Reveal Your Destination!” Nothing has changed. You are still going to have to put in the same effort, the same consistent daily actions, and take the same steps …
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